good AND my wrist and hand are killing me after writing the Happy of Happy Birthday.

What am I doing wrong? My flowers are coming along nicely and my cakes and icing taste great but its all for nothing if I can't write!

Thanks for any help!
Brandy

writing is my biggest nightmare... I have learned to thin the buttercream down or add some piping gel to it... that makes it thinner and flows better.

I know how you feel. I have aproblem with my right hand, and sometimes it's just so painfull to pipe, never mind writing. My letters get so crooked!

I too use a thinner BC, it helps a lot! Good luck!

HTH

I know how you feel. I have aproblem with my right hand, and sometimes it's just so painfull to pipe, never mind writing. My letters get so crooked!

I too use a thinner BC, it helps a lot! Good luck!

HTH

sorry, double post. computer is crazy today.

Does the tip make a difference? My hubby thought a bigger tip would be easier. I havent tried it yet.

I have to use a straight edge and make really faint marks on the cake before I write because mine definitely trail downward! I use piping gel, too.

Thin what ever you are writing with and do it fast! Practice, practice, practice on wax paper or something OR do what I did and get tappits!! They are fabulous!

Thin what ever you are writing with and do it fast! Practice, practice, practice on wax paper or something OR do what I did and get tappits!! They are fabulous!

I work at a bakery party time, so I write "Happy Birthday" a few gazillion times a day (it seems anyway). Here are few of my tips:
1. Write with your ARM, not your wrist. Move your entire arm when writing.
2. Always be ABOVE your cake. I cannot write while sitting.
3. I use a #3 tip
4. Don't work with a full bag of icing. If your bag is full, twist off about 3 inches of icing.
5. I make a fist around my bag. Use your pointer finger from your other hand to help "GUIDE". It is more difficult to neat by wrapping two hands around the bag.
6. Find a pretty "H" (for happy) and a pretty "B" (for birthday) and use it. If you have a real pretty H & B....the rest isn't that noticeable.
7. Write on the table first until you get in a habit of writing straight.
8. Decide whether you want to write in an angle, or up and down and stick with that.
8. The more you write...the better you will get...I actually write better with icing then a pen! LOL.

Can I get tappits at Hobby Lobby? Thats the only store I have within an hour of me besides Walmart.

I second getting tappits. I got mine at Global Sugar Art in two different designs.

The other thing you can do is getting letter impressions. Wilton makes a set, but I also found a nice set at Michael's for stone impressions (when you make the stepping stone kits they sell). Press those into the BC then pipe right over that.

how do the tappits work? You cut them out of fondant?

I think a lot of it is natural handwriting ability. Some people just have good handwriting and that's just the way it is. The one thing I usually get comments on is my handwriting on cakes. I just happen to have good handwriting. I don't practice, it's just the way it comes out. I wish I could transfer my handwriting skills to other aspects of cake decorating that I need help in! Some people can cover a cake in fondant so that it looks like porcelain. Mine, not so much. I know with practice I'll get better, but some people just have that natural ability. I think practicing does help, though. I remember in high school working in an ice cream store we used to have to write Happy Birthday on the ice cream can lids over and over and scrape it off and do it again for a long time before the boss would let us write on cakes. I didn't have to do it that long, but I know it did help a lot of people. Good luck!

I think my icing might be too stiff. I have some piping gel I can try adding. And I was using a #2 or #3 tip.

I've been practicing...but my hand/wrist would hurt so bad I'd stop.

Thanks!
Brandy

I think my icing might be too stiff. I have some piping gel I can try adding. And I was using a #2 or #3 tip.

I've been practicing...but my hand/wrist would hurt so bad I'd stop.

Thanks!
Brandy

I have terrible handwriting, but my writing on cakes if (if I do say so myself) phenomenal lol.

Always remember, do not try to "write" on the cake, like you are writing on paper. Keep the tip off of the surface of the cake and like the string of icing fall from the tip and guide it onto the cake. Believe it or not, you actually have more control over the direction of the icing this way, and it's also easier to lift mistakes off the cake before they have a chance to meld with the icing on the cake.

For those of you who are interested in a totally different way, like I do my fancy monograms...

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6478112-.html#6478112

I have started using my computer to help me get my letters and spacing a little neater. I type out whatever message I want. I actually measure the space I have on my cake and use Microsoft Publisher to get the font, size, spacing, centering, etc. just like I want it. Then I print it out as a mirror image.
Next I place a clear piece of acetate over the printed paper and copy the mirror image with a small piping tip using with RI. I let the RI dry, peel off the printed paper, turn over the acetate so the writing is correct, and press it into the cake.
I work mainly in BC, so this leaves an impression in the icing. Then I trace over the impression with more BC.
So far this has worked really well for me; It probably wouldn't be as successful with fondant.